Hi,

I would appreciate some advice from more seasoned students than myself.

I begun a PhD a month ago. It is in Bioinformatics and involves a 1.5 year attachment abroad in a research institute followed by 1.5 years back at my home university. My principle supervisors will give direction to my studies from my home university. The PhD was offered from the same university that I studied my Masters.

So far I have very mixed feelings about everything and I am quite confused. About a month ago I arrived in this new city to begin the PhD. Living here is not what I expected and since the moment I arrived, I have wanted to go somewhere else. Apart from work it is to me a very boring place. The other thing is that I am studying at an Institute rather than a University so there just isnt as much else going on. On the other hand the package here is good, funding and I think it would give me a bit of diversity. I find the science very interesting and it is a new field I want to learn lots about and get new skills in for a career in Bioinformatics.

In addition I am struggling with some health problems following an accident I was involved in. It can make it difficult to work sometimes and the institute have not been too sympathetic here. There is an operation that could really help me but it could take months to schedule that and I would have to return to the UK to have it done on NHS. So I do not know whether I should quit now before I dig myself into a deeper hole by being here.

I just feel I have begun this PhD while my life is off balance, but at the same time I think if I stopped or found a job it would not be fulfilling. My supervisors are very keen for me to get this research underway and I feel pressure, I am not sure if I am ready.

Thoughts?

I am sorry about your health issue. I broke my foot 3 months ago and it was a nightmare to take care of all the things on own! Yes, I live far far away from home. I can understand your feelings completely.
My suggestion is to fix the health issues asap.

Getting abroad experience during ph.d period is an advantage.
Are you doing literature review? It is a new field for you. It is better to read as many articles and identify which research group is pioneer in your field of research. This will help a lot in later stages of your ph.d.

For conducting literature review, Google these keywords, "keshav how to read a paper acm ccr 2007" and you may also find some video clips in youtube about doing literature review. I also recommend you to use the Mendeley or Endnote for keeping track of all of your references.

If you find the place is boring, it is good in certain sense. You can focus on your activities very well (such as reading or writing). Do you like some activities such as cycling? Try to involve yourself in something which suits for you. So you will not feel bored and also this would be like your stress buster.

I wish you all the best.

I can empathize with living in a foreign country! I'm away for a year with my PhD. I'm back in 9 months and I can't wait to get home...

I just miss my home and my friends and family. That said, I try to make the most of being away by visiting as many places as I can whilst I'm here and enjoying the food, scenery, culture differences etc. I have learnt you have to make your own fun - don't wait for people to invite you places, just go and find somewhere to go and something to do.

I just try to make the best of these opportunities even though it's difficult to stay motivated sometimes because it's just not the same as my home town and uni. I'm in a research lab where people are employees rather than students so it's not the same as I expected.

Living abroad is challenging especially if you haven't done it before. Are you isolated for language reasons? If so, try signing up for classes, as it's a great way to meet other people new to the area, who will also be looking for new friends.
Very few places are truly boring but some are harder to get to know and to find things you'd like. The worst thing though you can do (speaking as someone who's done four different stints abroad) is to sit in your room bemoaning what you've left behind. Even though it often feels like the best option because when you're in a new country, even doing the simplest of things feels like running a marathon because you don't know how to do anything. On top of that you've started a PhD which is disorientating even in familiar conditions. You need to find a middle road between being kind to yourself and forcing yourself into action to find the things that can make this into a good experience.
If it's any consolation, it generally does get better and I would say to try to give it until Christmas, and then see how you feel. In the meantime, what is there to see and do in the city and in neighbouring places. Go sightseeing. Join some sort of club. What do you like doing at home and what can you recreate in your new temporary home? I would say that if you've come straight through bachelors and masters, even if you'd started the PhD in the same place, your social life would probably have not been as good because life as a PhD student is less 'studenty'. So you might have found yourself at a loose end anyway.
Finally on your health problems - couldn't you get the operation done where you are? Presumably there's some sort of health coverage there.

Thanks for the responses.

Yes I am supposed to be doing a literature review, but I do not really know what that entails yet. I am not sure that it is good to be in a boring place, one cannot simply work all of the time.

This actually is one of my biggest concerns, work life balance. I treat the PhD like a job, I come in at 9 and work till 7/8 in the evening. I like routine and I am just not prepared to work weekends or overnight, unless in exceptional circumstances. It worries me that I am in my early twenties, will I spend three years of my life stressed, anxious, over worked and under paid. I am not prepared to make that sacrifice if that is the case.

It is not difficult to adjust to the life here but it is just not a place that I feel inspired by. That may sound silly but in previous cities that I have lived there has always been something unique and interesting; museums, cultural events or interesting sites to keep busy at weekends. This to me is an important element of getting a balance in life, because we cannot study all the time. Even after living in London for a long time, the city constantly inspires and interests me.

Regarding the health problem, I do have medical insurance. However, because it is a pre-existing condition the surgery would not be covered by insurance so would cost thousands of dollars. If I am in the UK I could get it done on the NHS and then move on with my life.

I really dont know

This is the bit that makes me think maybe a PhD isn't the right thing for you at the moment. Because to be honest, routine is hard to come by, and while there are great moments when things are going well, there's also stress, anxiety, lots of overwork etc. That said while academia is one of the worst offenders in terms of lack of a work-life balance, I think many career-type jobs are like that if you want to get on. What sort of job would you like, and will lack of a PhD hinder you? If not, then maybe quitting is the right thing to do.

I wouldn't quit though because you hate the town, if otherwise this is a PhD that you can imagine enjoying and will get you where you want to be. 18 months (while I know it must feel like an eternity now) is survivable. Yes you can't recreate London but thinking about what you enjoy, where are you most likely to find like-minded people there? Having friends to plan things with, really does make a difference. I spent months living in what many would describe as a deeply undesirable location in Europe - while I won't go back in a hurry, meeting nice people was crucial to my wellbeing as was planning weekends away in nicer places.